Philippe Sinault: 'It just seems like a given that ELF would be involved in Alpine’s return to racing'

You have just claimed your first FIA WEC podium finish in the A424’s maiden season. With one race left to go, what is your assessment of this first year?

I think there have been different emotions across the season as a whole. Generally, since our painful experience at Le Mans, we have been on an upward trajectory with our performance in São Paulo, fifth place in Austin and then the podium in Fuji. I’d say we are starting to understand the car pretty well. The Hypercars’ complex settings are difficult to get to grips with, whether that’s the hybrid system, tyre management – including knowledge of the different compounds – and obviously including the set-up. But we have made a lot of progress, especially in the last few races. I don't know if there was some sort of post-Le Mans effect. What I do know is that it hit us hard and since then, there has been a big, incredible reaction from the whole team. Everyone has worked really hard and shown huge commitment, enabling us to bounce back quickly. I think we have sent a clear message to the rest of the paddock that this is a serious and long-term project for us, but also that we’re determined to be fast reasonably quickly, and certainly in 2025, by learning all the necessary lessons.

Aside from the level of competition, what makes the Hypercar class so difficult?

Obviously, there’s not only a lot of competition but the standard is also very high. The second issue is that the Hypercars feature an array of settings that require various types of expertise to ensure that all the components work well together. It takes time and that has been our main difficulty. We still lack experience compared to some of the other teams that have had more time on track than us – sometimes two, two and half or even three seasons. This is, of course, only our first season.
 

Is stability the priority for 2025? Nicolas Lapierre seems unsure what he will do next career-wise, and the same goes for Mick Schumacher?

Yes, the idea is to keep the momentum going into next year. With even greater expectations, as the target we share with Alpine is – in time – to win races and aim for victory at Le Mans. How soon we will be able to do that, I can't say as yet. We’re obviously going to do everything we can to get there as soon as possible. The driver side of things is obviously a very, very important factor; it’s one of the keys to success. Nicolas is indeed reflecting on what’s next for him and I think the decision is such a personal one that we have to leave him time to think it over. Regardless of the outcome, I’m sure he’ll make the right decision. If he does decide that he wants to continue driving, then we would obviously be delighted. As for Mick, it’s quite a similar situation. He has done really well this season, making progress throughout. He has ended up reaching a fairly exceptional level, in the closing stages in Fuji, for example. Clearly, if he wants to stay with us, he would be very welcome. There have been a lot of discussions, and talks are still ongoing. Our aim is for the matter to be settled before Bahrain.

Signature and Alpine have also worked together on a series of A110 models, with the Cup and its big sister the GT4 for the track, the R-GT version used in the Alpine ELF Rally Trophy and, more recently, the GT+ in which Sébastien Loeb won the Rallye du Mont-Blanc… Where did you get the idea to create all these different versions?

At the outset of the project in 2013, when we contributed to relaunching the brand and were chosen to run team operations on the brand’s return to racing, before there was an actual manufacturing plan. From the start, we signed an agreement with Alpine whereby if a customer racing line of the production car was to be produced, it would be handled by Signature and its subsidiary Signature Technologies Automobile. When we saw the A110, we could tell very quickly that this car – much like its predecessor, the Berlinette – could compete in rallies or on track. Since we have expertise in racing in terms of the design, manufacturing and assembly of vehicles, especially acquired when working previously with our partner Renault Sport, we immediately put forward the idea, even before the modern incarnation of the Alpine made it onto the roads of France.

With the Cup, GT4, R-GT and now the GT +, how many different cars are out there competing?

Since 2018, overall, I think there have been about 150 cars. The structure that manages this part of the business, Signature Technologies Automobiles, has therefore developed over that time. It already existed and had done assembly work for Peugeot and Renault. We had also designed an F4, which was sold to the FFSA, in Brazil and Sweden. The structure now consists of about ten people, who manage the engineering office, design, assembly and marketing.

The car clearly has popular appeal and an unbeatable price-to-performance and pleasure ratio, but were you expecting it to be as successful as it has been?

To be honest, yes, I did! Lionel Chevalier, who I have worked alongside for 35 years, is in charge of this project and Lionel, he has won the lot, both in single-seater and Endurance racing. When I asked him to create the Cup, GT4 and rally versions, I was very confident that he would come up with a car capable of winning races and that is precisely what has happened.

The latest addition to the line-up is the GT +…

The competition has moved on a little. With the R-GT, we were managing pretty much to match the Rally2 for pace. For example, we claimed an overall win at the 2021 Rallye d’Antibes with Nicolas Ciamin, but in the last few months or even years, we were a little off the pace because the competition had improved. So the idea with the GT + was to produce an upgraded version of the R-GT capable of putting us back among the frontrunners and competing with the Rally2 cars. That is exactly what has happened. Sébastien Loeb showcased immediately the car’s improved pace at the Rallye Mont-Blanc, employing his exceptional driving talent and nous.

What can we expect from Signature and Alpine in the future?

We don't know as yet because we need to get to grips with the new additions to the range and see how we can adapt these products to the expectations of future customers and the context of motorsport, which is in the midst of profound change. But you can count on us to come up with some ingenious and creative solutions, much like what we did last year for Pikes Peak. Over the years, Alpine and ELF have always taken on these kinds of challenges. We try to be worthy of the heritage of the brand, winning trophies, sharing emotions and adding our own pages to Alpine’s history.

You mentioned the longstanding partnership between ELF and Alpine. Do you feel any pressure in having to represent these two great inseparable brands on all fronts?

Absolutely, but this kind of pressure is a privilege. It means that the projects are high quality, that there are genuine expectations. We are very proud and honoured to have been chosen to take on these challenges. As regards the history between Alpine and ELF, that’s another reason this partnership makes sense, it gives real soul and character to what we do. It has given us incredibly solid foundations. I think the bond between the two brands is so strong that the project could not have got off the ground without ELF. When I see the ELF logo on the cars or in the pit garage, it just seems like a given that ELF is involved. In the FIA WEC, ELF also provides us with its immense technical expertise as regards engine and gearbox lubricants, something that helps us every day in our constant search for improved performance. It’s a global partnership: I couldn't imagine Alpine cars in the Rally Trophy or Cup series not being backed by ELF. We wanted a consistent, coherent approach.